The Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center will host the “Ribbons for the Children” art exhibit opening reception and auction on December 6th, 2008 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale. “Ribbons for the Children” is an ArtsUnited benefit for the Center’s programs serving Children and Families with HIV/AIDS. Twenty five ArtsUnited artists created original art pieces using the AIDS Ribbon as their subject, and then donated the artwork to the Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center.

The twenty five unique art works will be on display for the first time in this exhibit at the Museum. Each will be auctioned during the reception. With the help of Dennis Dean Images, each art piece has been digitally photographed, and the images have been reproduced on note cards and prints Sets of the twenty five distinct cards will also be available for purchase during the reception. The Exhibit and Reception are sponsored by Cordis and the South Florida Blade. All the proceeds from the event will go to support the Comprehensive Family AIDS Program of the Center.

Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center is a nationally recognized “Center of Excellence” offering family-centered, culturally sensitive medical care and social services in Broward County, Florida. The museum is located at One Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale. Suggested donation for the Ribbons event is twenty five dollars. For more information or to RSVP, please call 954-728-1088.

The Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center will host the “Ribbons for the Children” art exhibit opening reception and auction on December 6th, 2008 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale. “Ribbons for the Children” is an ArtsUnited benefit for the Center’s programs serving Children and Families with HIV/AIDS. Twenty five ArtsUnited artists created original art pieces using the AIDS Ribbon as their subject, and then donated the artwork to the Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center.

The twenty five unique art works will be on display for the first time in this exhibit at the Museum. Each will be auctioned during the reception. With the help of Dennis Dean Images, each art piece has been digitally photographed, and the images have been reproduced on note cards and prints Sets of the twenty five distinct cards will also be available for purchase during the reception. The Exhibit and Reception are sponsored by Cordis and the South Florida Blade. All the proceeds from the event will go to support the Comprehensive Family AIDS Program of the Center.

Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center is a nationally recognized “Center of Excellence” offering family-centered, culturally sensitive medical care and social services in Broward County, Florida. The museum is located at One Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale. Suggested donation for the Ribbons event is twenty five dollars. For more information or to RSVP, please call 954-728-1088.

Friday November 28 • 9PM to 4AM The Women's White PartyAphrodite - goddess of love Host Dee Adames, Winner of Sheer Genius Cirque Blanc the signature women’s White Party event will captivate. In its 9th year this extravaganza will take the ladies on a transatlantic journey to an evening of Greek Goddesses with tantalizing fire eaters, beautiful women and Aphrodisiacs. The dance floor will explode with the sounds of special guest DJ’s.

Ladies can experience a fabulous silent auction with a series of luxury items, travel packages, art, theater tickets, spa days; it all can be yours! With over 1500 women shaking to hot grooves, all donning white this will be the event of the season. Cirque Blanc will take place at the world famous Nikki Beach complete with a lovely outdoor VIP room, tropical gardens and comfortable seating. The event has become an annual culmination of diversity, music and all for a wonderful cause.

Nikki Beach ClubOne Ocean Drive — South Beach Tickets: $25 in advance and $30 at the door.VIP tickets are $85 in advance or $100 at the door(if available). White attire is suggested

This exclusive after party will live up to its name with two floors of fresh sounds and sexy shows. Enjoy a variety of LATIN flavors on the second floor with DJ Pat Pat and funky pop and hip hop on the main floor. Salacious shows, and sexy go-go dancers will energize the night along with some very shall we say "caliente" surprise appearances.Yuca Nightclub 501 Lincoln Road — South Beach Tickets: $12 advance / $15 door

Sunday November 30 • 1pm to 4PM -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------olympus brunch & teaThe ladies will take over this quaint poolside garden terrace for a wonderful afternoon featuring a delicious menu prepared by executive chef and owner Kira Volz (Abbey Dining Room). This exclusive intimate luncheon will be a welcome luxury at the end of a festive week. Mingle with other women, enjoy the scrumptious fare and complimentary Bloody Mary’s.

Get your groove on poolside with cocktails and dancing with music by DJ MEESH. Bring your bathing suit and take a dip in the pool and mingle as we wind down the weeks long celebration.Creek 28 2727 Indian Creek Drive,Miami BeachIin the Indian Creek Hotel Tickets: $8 advance/ $10 door

A Miami-Dade circuit judge Tuesday declared Florida's 30-year-old ban on gay adoption unconstitutional, allowing a North Miami man to adopt two foster kids he has raised since 2004.

In a 53-page order that sets the stage for what could become a constitutional showdown, Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman permitted 47-year-old Frank Gill to adopt the 4- and 8-year-old boys he and his partner have raised since just before Christmas four years ago. A child abuse investigator had asked Gill to care for the boys temporarily; they were never able to return to their birth parents.

''This is the forum where we try to heal children, find permanent families for them so they can get another chance at what every child should know and feel from birth, and go on to lead productive lives,'' Lederman said in court before releasing the order. ``We pray for them to thrive, but that is a word we rarely hear in dependency court.''

''These children are thriving; it is uncontroverted,'' the judge added.

Moments after Lederman released the ruling, attorneys for Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced they would appeal the decision to the Third District Court of Appeal in Miami.

''We respect the court's decision,'' said attorney Valerie Martin, who had argued in support of the ban during a weeklong trial Oct. 1-6. But, she added: ``Based upon the wishes of our client, the Department of Children & Families, we have filed a notice of appeal this morning.''

The attorney general's office had argued that gay men and lesbians are disproportionately more likely to suffer from mental illness or a substance abuse problem than straight people, rendering them less fit to parent -- especially children in foster care who already are under tremendous stress.

Gov. Charlie Crist, a former attorney general who has expressed support for the adoption ban, declined to comment Tuesday, saying he hadn't yet reviewed the ruling.

Gill, who is raising the half-brothers with his partner of eight years, said he was ''elated'' by the ruling.

''I cried tears of joy for the first time in my life,'' he told reporters outside Miami's juvenile courthouse at 3300 NW 27th Ave. His mother appeared with him in court.

The ban on adoption by gay families, he said, does not lead to more children being raised in traditional households, since foster and adoptive families have long been in short supply in Florida.

Instead, he said, ``It results in more children being left without any parents at all. They don't have a mom or a dad.''

Lederman, who overseas Miami's juvenile and child welfare courts, is the second judge this year to declare the state's blanket ban on adoption by gay men and lesbians unconstitutional.

In August, Monroe Circuit Judge David John Audlin Jr. wrote that Florida's 1977 gay adoption ban arose out of ''unveiled expressions of bigotry'' when the state was experiencing a severe backlash to demands for civil rights by gay people in Miami.

''Disqualifying every gay Floridian from raising a family, enjoying grandchildren or carrying on the family name, based on nothing more than lawful sexual conduct, while assuring child abusers, terrorists, drug dealers, rapists and murderers at least individualized consideration, `` Audlin wrote, was so ``disproportionately severe'' that it violates the state and U.S. Constitutions.

In her ruling, Lederman said children taken into state care have a ''fundamental'' right to be raised in a permanent adoptive home if they cannot be reunited with birth parents. Children whose foster parents are gay, she said, can be deprived of that right under the current law.

''The challenged statute, in precluding otherwise qualified homosexuals from adopting available children, does not promote the interests of children and, in effect, causes harm to the children it is meant to protect,'' Lederman wrote.

The judge added: ``There is no question the blanket exclusion of gay applicants defeats Florida's goal of providing [foster] children a permanent family through adoption.''

In a ruling that, at times, reads more like a social science research paper, Lederman dissected 30 years worth of psychological and sociological research, concluding that studies overwhelmingly have shown that gay people can parent every bit as effectively as straight people and do no harm to their children.

''Based on the evidence presented from experts from all over this country and abroad,'' Lederman wrote, ``it is clear that sexual orientation is not a predictor of a person's ability to parent. Sexual orientation no more leads to psychiatric disorders, alcohol and substance abuse, relationship instability, a lower life expectancy or sexual disorders than race, gender, socioeconomic class or any other demographic characteristic.

''The most important factor in ensuring a well-adjusted child is the quality of parenting,'' Lederman wrote.

Marc Caputo of The Miami Herald's Tallahassee bureau contributed to this story.

Kevin Hopper, publisher of the South Florida Blade and 411 Magazine has been promoted to a new position at parent company Window Media, in which he'll also be publisher of Southern Voice and David Magazine.

Here's the memo from Window Media Co-President William Kapfer to staff about Hopper's appointment:

Dear Team:

It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of South Florida Blade and 411 Magazine Publisher, Kevin Hopper to Publisher – Southern Voice & David Magazine. In this newly created position, Kevin will be splitting his time between South Florida and Atlanta, as he takes on the dual-role of Publisher for all four Window Media titles.

Kevin comes to the position with a wealth of experience and a track record of success—and we believe possesses the knowledge, skills and abilities the Atlanta market needs to bring SOVO & David to the next level. He has been with our company since 1999 and arrives at the table with the professional credentials to move the needle in the market. Being familiar with the processes, procedures, market many of Atlanta’s longtime customers, will allow Kevin to hit the pavement running.

We are fortunate indeed that Kevin has now assumed an even greater leadership role in our organization. The executive team’s complete confidence and support, and would like to encourage the entire Window Media family to join me in celebrating his appointment.

Artist Alexander Guerra of plastiquehouse tells us how he came to design the current Macys Lincoln Road windows (scroll below to see the Macys windows):

I'm playing on the idea of "what if Ken dolls/GI Joes were more humanized? What if they had a real human torso? What would they look like nude? What if you stripped these guys/dolls down and you didn't end up disappointed? What if you ended up with an anatomically correct, nipple correct, belly button correct, smooth to hairy figure? That's where "Plastique" comes in. My images answer those questions. Some in more of a Dark manner and some in a very POP style.

The window idea came out of many conversations with my friend Joe DePiro (Creative Director, Macy's Florida). I would see Joe at the gym and show him my latest 4x6 image of my nude dolls (each doll has a real human torso from a model I photographed). After a couple months of this, one image in particular caught his eye and eventually the idea of a collaboration with underwear sold at Macy's. It was obvious to both of us that although, my original idea is to go beyond the idea of just a doll in clothes; a display of nude dolls at Macy's was not in the cards.

The moment Joe offered the potential window, my mind went to work. I had to come up with a way to incorporate my images with a brand at the store. It didn't take long before I remembered that my friend Jim knew the designer of "Papi Underwear". I went to their website and created an image from one of their online images. It worked! A few calls were placed and I met up with Lucio De Carvalho (VP of Design for Isaco "Papi Underwear"). I took Lucio two samples of what I was working on and he walked me over to his sample closet. There with his creative team, they helped me pick out all the underwear I needed for the window. Fast forward two months later, a few friends modeling "Papi Underwear" for me, a house full of half naked dolls, a concept rapped around "White Party" and you end up with seven "Plastique" images for the Macy's window entiled "Papi-Chromatic", a take on the genius ads by Apple for their iPod Nano.

Safe Schools South Florida participated in the recent National Safe Schools Roundtable in Washington, D.C., - a gathering that brought together a select group of 35 representatives of organizations from throughout the United States to discuss and strategize around the Safe Schools movement that is becoming a more dynamic element of change in public education for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.

Safe Schools South Florida trainer and Miami-Dade County Public School counselor Lisa La Monica represented the organization at the roundtable, and Safe Schools South Florida was the only organization represented from Florida at the roundtable.

"Safe Schools South Florida wanted to share and learn with others from throughout the United States the great resources and energy around GLBTQ youth issues in schools, and Lisa La Monica -- who has devoted her life to nurturing and supporting GLBTQ youth -- was the perfect person to represent us at the table," stated Robert Loupo, Executive Director of Safe Schools South Florida.

As Lisa learned through the years, the more and more people become aware of the amount of homophobia and bullying that occurs to GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning) youth in school, the more and more people become interested in taking action. Gay students are four times more likely to attempt suicide than straight youths, and twice as likely to skip school because of fear of harassment. Lisa has made it part of her mission to be a part of changing these alarming statistics. As more and more people like Lisa start taking action, what started as just a few organizations talking, becomes an entire MOVEMENT.

The conference was held at the national Education Association headquarters in Washington, D.C., October 15-17. According to Lisa, creating safe schools can now definitely be considered a movement, with enough people energetic and interested in bringing about change. This weekend helped lay down the framework for the goals and actions that participants will be doing in the future, as they too become a part of the safe schools movement.

Lisa la Monica devoted her weekend to working at this convening, fulfilling the main objectives outlined. A huge element of the weekend was to collaborate and bring all of the many ideas together. They augmented and improved communication among those involved in the safe schools movement and learned from each other different avenues in creating safer school environments.

The National Safe Schools Roundtable is only three years old, yet is still setting high goals for the upcoming year. Some of the most important issues tackled involved dealing with early signs of gender expression in elementary schools as well as helping to end oppression and racism in all schools.

"Every part of the convening was significant," according to Lisa. "This is a great, complex web of possibilities, all the more because we weave the web as we go." And throughout the weekend Lisa helped create ideas for issues that would be focused upon. They worked on such wide-ranging topics as resource development to getting more members to join the group. She also attended two presentations: one on anti-oppression and anti-racism and one on research of Adolescent Homophobia and its implications.

"So far, the most impressive part is that NSSR exists, that its focus is laser sharp, that it is building a matrix which will be accessible to Safe Schools South Florida and similar organizations very shortly. That is an extraordinary network which will allow communication, collaboration, resource building and a clearing house and home for a wealth of information across the net and thereby the world," Lisa explained.

Many different gay rights organizations joined Lisa and Safe Schools South Florida at this important workshop. The ACLU, National Safe Schools Coalition, Anti-Defamation League, LAMBDA ,MA Commission on GLBT Youth Teaching Tolerance, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force all had participants in attendance.

"It was an amazing effort with great promise as a movement to continue to change the landscape of GLBTQ youth experience across the nation," she summarized. And after so many gay rights' losses in the last election, it seems even more important to focus on the next generation of GLBTQ youth, trying to create a safer atmosphere for them. Thankfully, people like Lisa are dedicating their time and life to achieving that goal. For her, it was all about helping jumpstart an entire movement.